I’ve always had a fascination with the paranormal world, but my rational brain would never let me believe in ghosts, bigfoot, the Loch Ness monster or other such entities. For some unknown reason, though, the one exception to this has been stories associated with the Navajo tribal culture. I grew up in Colorado and over the years had many incidents described to me that occurred to people to closely related to be considered a proverbial ‘friend of a friend’. Most of these are either UFO reports or what could best be described as shapeshifters, or as the Navajo call them, ‘Skinwalkers’. As strange as these stories were, I had trouble discounting them as lies or mere stories. So it was with great interest that I had the opportunity to read and review a copy of a book by a Navajo law enforcement officer whose official duties included investigating and reporting on reports of paranormal occurrences.

I had heard of Stanley Milford before, having watched the episode of Unsolved Mysteries (Vol. 3, Episode 5) that featured him and his partner, Jon Dover. I found the idea of clear-headed, analytical police officers investigating approaching such cases with an open mind fascinating, and also compelling, so, given the opportunity to obtain a review copy from NetGalley, I jumped at the chance.

Milford’s book is rather slim, 232 pages of text, which is interspersed with alternating chapters telling the Navajo creation story which provides insights into some of the entities encountered by Milford and Dover over the course of their investigations. It also describes Milford’s youth and family life, describing how he became interested in law enforcement, his early days as a law enforcement officer and Navajo Ranger, and also describing his first encounter with the paranormal world.

One of the first cases they encountered was when an elderly woman reported that a bigfoot stole one of her sheep. When she reported it to the police, the responding officers did not seem to take her report seriously so she complained, which brought the case to the attention of The Paranormal Rangers, as Milford and Dover would soon become known. While this first investigation remained unsolved, they did learn what was perhaps the key lesson of their entire careers, that the people who reported these cases mostly just wanted to know that they were being taken seriously.

Most of the cases that Milford describes fall into the categories of either UFOs, bigfoot sightings, Navajo witchcraft, or basic hauntings, and sometimes the accounts included a combination of two or more of these.

I have a great deal of respect for the way that these rangers approach the cases they worked. Milford claimed to be a sceptic, but he is clearly less of one than I am. But if even half of what he describes in the book is true, he has a right to be.

Which brings me to the part of the book that really bothers me. In chapter seven he recounts a visitation by a creature he describes as “<i>like the little green men I had read about and seen on TV, only it wasn’t green. Its skin was a dull gray, the same color as the sculpting clay I had used to make pottery in junior high art class.</i>” He described how he was unable to move for a long time while he and this being watched each other. Eventually, without warning, the paralysis left him, and he jumped from his bead and grabbed his service weapon, only to find the creature gone. Subsequent examination revealed that his T-shirt and pajama bottoms were both on inside out and backwards. Oddly enough, this is the one part of the story that I have the most trouble with. Why is it that, in almost every case of alien abduction one reads about, the victims’ clothing turns out to be <i>inside out and backwards</i>. One would think that the aliens, who are apparently intelligent enough to travel great distances to visit us, would have the forethought to observe how the clothing is worn, or if not, the law of averages should dictate that they would get it right half of the time. I really don’t want to say that I don’t believe this account, but Jeez, it’s a struggle.

In the final chapter, Wilford provides a list of several theories that he has come up with over his many years of service. Several of them include the idea that existence is multi-dimensional and that we live on just one of them and that <i>’there are naturally occurring places in the world where it is easier for those beings to pass back and forth.’</i> This could explain how UFOs and bigfoot could appear at the same time and place, how extraterrestrials could travel such vast distances in a short period of time, and although Milford doesn’t mention this, how there could be so many bigfoot, yet never any bigfoot corpses.

Bottom line: While I enjoyed this book and respect Rangers Wilford and Dover for their work, and especially for the empathy they showed to those they worked with, I am still just as conflicted as I was when I first started reading it. I guess some things will just need to remain unknown.

*Quotations are cited from an advanced reading copy and may not be the same as appears in the final published edition. The review was based on an advanced reading copy obtained at no cost from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review. While this does take any ‘not worth what I paid for it’ statements out of my review, it otherwise has no impact on the content of my review.

FYI: On a 5-point scale I assign stars based on my assessment of what the book needs in the way of improvements:
*5 Stars – Nothing at all. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
*4 Stars – It could stand for a few tweaks here and there but it’s pretty good as it is.
*3 Stars – A solid C grade. Some serious rewriting would be needed in order for this book to be considered great or memorable.
*2 Stars – This book needs a lot of work. A good start would be to change the plot, the character development, the writing style and the ending.
*1 Star – The only thing that would improve this book is a good bonfire.

*4.5 stars rounded up*

I love the introduction of this memoir because it explains how the author didn’t set out at the beginning of his career with a goal of investigating the paranormal, he just wanted to serve his community by becoming an LEO - but life took him in a direction where those two seemingly different paths converged into one.

The author has lived a very interesting life outside of the supernatural aspects, so when you factor that into the equation this book was hard to put down. At times I was a bit scared by the implications of things he’d had reported to him (& the things he experienced himself), & here & there I was also a bit skeptical; but the author is consistent & professional, & my biggest takeaway from this was his respect for the people he interacted with. He took the time to listen to them, & even if after methodically investigating he wasn’t able to explain or solve their problems, they took comfort in knowing that he didn’t treat them like they were crazy. I also enjoyed learning more about the Navajo Nation.

Thank you very much to NetGalley & William Morrow for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A serviceable narrative of the author's time spent as a Navajo Ranger and occasionally investigating paranormal activity. The writing is basic, but that will not deter readers interested in the paranormal.

This paranormal investigation will definitely appeal to fans of that genre in my library. Will definitely be ordering.

As someone who doesn’t read a lot of non-fiction/memoirs/biographies/etc., I found "The Paranormal Ranger" by Stanley Milford, Jr. to be a surprisingly engaging read. The exploration of paranormal and spooky topics, as well as connections to the author's Native heritage, really captured my interest and kept me turning the pages. While I’m not an expert on the subject matter, the way it was presented made it both accessible and intriguing. Overall, it’s an interesting book that held my attention from start to finish, and I enjoyed diving into this mysterious world.

Fascinating memoir of the author's time as a Navaho Ranger and the investigation of paranormal activities
in the area. So many happenings with no explanation. By listening carefully to the people involved, they know they
were being heard and not written off as crazy.. Connections to Native American mythology add more to the details.
#TheParanormalRanger #WilliamMorrow #NetGalley

After I read that The Paranormal Ranger, by Stanley Milford, Jr. was a NYT pick for one of the 22 best nonfiction books to read for fall, I was intrigued. Milford, who is descended from Cherokee and Navajo parents, serves in the Navajo Rangers, a law enforcement arm of the Navajo Nation. Raised on Native American stories of witchcraft, shapeshifters and the origins of mankind, he shares fascinating insights into the beliefs and culture of these indigenous people. His book is short--I wished it was longer--but he tells some chilling tales of sighting skinwalkers and Bigfoot (or maybe more than one Bigfoot), investigating hauntings, UFOs, and more. He sounds like the kind of loyal, brave, open-minded, caring man that anyone would want on their law enforcement team. I recommend his book and send thanks to him for his service. Check it out for Halloween!

This was an amazing story that should be read by all. I appreciated the way that he approached the different instances that he ran into, and I don't want to spoil it, but being able to see this from an Indigenous point of view was worth the read. I enjoyed getting to see all of this from a different point of view. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the ARC of this. I would highly recommend it, especially during spooky season!

Fascinating stories about the unexplained experiences of a Navajo ranger all over the huge reservation. I found the stories interesting, introducing us to the various residents and what they may encounter and how it fits in to the Navajo beliefs. There are several chapters dedicated to the Navajo folklore but I wish these had been interspersed within the chapter where relevant to make it more connected. Not all the stories are paranormal in nature; a few relate to disappearances. I particularly enjoyed reading about his upbringing between two cultures and how those inspired his desire to be a ranger and how he investigated the different cases.

The Paranormal Ranger by Stanley Milford Junior is an interesting biography about his life living between the traditions of the Navajo Indians and western culture him becoming a Ranger and all that entailed and ultimately how he and his partner were picked to be the paranormal rangers. My favorite part of the book besides his actual stories of arresting and or searching for criminals/crypttoids, we’re the Native American origin stories of how they believe the world was invented to how men and women learned they really did need each other I really enjoyed those stories I think as much as I did the others. Mr. Milford has such a comfortable writing style and at one point I really felt as if mosquitoes were going to start biting me due to the way he described the misery he was in on his first SWAT mission. I think Mr. Milford’s respect for others really comes through in the narrative he seems like such an intelligent and kind person that anyone would be proud to know and I am so glad I read this book and know that such a great man exist. From growing up to explaining how things are done on the reservation the stories are interesting in the book isn’t long but OMG it could’ve been longer. I am not a fan of biographies because I feel like people too often like to pat their own self on the back and use the opportunity to tell the world how great they are but in this case you can read for yourself the humility and honor and even a little self deprecation that made a few LOL moments really shows what a great person the Ranger is. From Windegos to big foot UFOs in even a human shaped black void he has experienced it all and has a very interesting way of telling the stories I definitely recommend this book it was awesome I loved it and read it all in almost one sitting the only reason I put the book down is because I kept falling asleep I had been reading so long. Lol! #NetGalley,#StanleyMilfordJunior, #TheParaNormalRanger,#William Morrow,

An interesting and educational look at the experiences of a Navajo Ranger, a member of the native law enforcement and investigative community who gives clear and concise information on his experiences. Stanley Milford Jr is a familiar face as he has appeared on many television shows where the topic of paranormal happenings is reviewed and investigated. There are so many events that happen with little explanation that I believe most people reserve an opinion that leaves open so many possibilities. Milford tells of his experiences without sensationalism, leaving little doubt of his beliefs. I found the book fascinating but could have enjoyed a few more chapters. Maybe a second book is coming?

This is a bit of an odd one- part autobiography, part discussion of Navajo folklore, part discussion of oddities and the paranormal, part talk of UFOS. So if you go into understanding it's not a strict autobiography, then you'll appreciate it more (and understand why I put it under HC this week)! Milford alternates chapters with his personal life and Navajo folklore. This is not only to help you understand his history and why he approaches the episode in the upcoming/previous chapter the way he did, but also to educate on how the Navajo approach to the paranormal is based on their folklore and oral history. If you've had nay type of paranormal experience, then some chapters may resonate more with you, but if not, you will still end up leaving the book asking "what else is out there?". An interesting book for those who study Native history and folklore, but also for those who ask "are we alone"? It would make a great gift for the hard to buy for bookaholic too!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

The Paranormal Ranger: A Navajo Investigator’s Search for the Unexplained by Stanley Milford, Jr. is a fascinating memoir that offers a unique blend of true crime, cultural exploration, and supernatural investigation. As a Navajo Ranger, Milford’s career was anything but ordinary, and this book provides a riveting account of his encounters with the unexplained.

Milford’s narrative is deeply rooted in his heritage, drawing on his upbringing with Navajo and Cherokee traditions. This cultural backdrop adds a rich layer to his stories, making them reflections on the intersection of modern law enforcement and ancient beliefs. His experiences range from investigating mysterious livestock mutilations to sightings of skinwalkers and UFOs, each case more intriguing than the last.

What sets this memoir apart is Milford’s approach to these phenomena. As a trained law enforcement officer, he brings a logical and methodical perspective to his investigations, yet he remains open to the mysteries that defy conventional explanation. This balance between skepticism and belief makes for a compelling read, as Milford navigates the thin line between the known and the unknown.

This book is a testament to Milford’s storytelling prowess. His descriptions are vivid, bringing the vast landscapes of the Navajo Nation to life and immersing readers in the eerie, often unsettling atmosphere of his investigations. The pacing is well-crafted, with each chapter building suspense and curiosity about the next bizarre encounter.

The Paranormal Ranger is an exploration of how cultural heritage and personal experience shape our understanding of the world. It’s a must-read for anyone interested in the paranormal, true crime, or Native American culture. Milford’s journey is both enlightening and entertaining, offering a rare glimpse into a world where the supernatural is part of everyday life.

First off, a Paranormal Ranger is not an official title. Stanley Milford is however a Navajo Ranger. Over the years, he heard a lot of stories of paranormal occurrences. He grew up with stories from his parents and grandparents. He heard the oral traditions and learned from them. With his training as a law enforcement officer and his background in Native American history. He tells these stories in a very unique way and this is a wonderful book.

In "The Paranormal Ranger," Stanley Milford Jr. takes readers on a captivating journey that blends his Native American culture with the exploration of the unexplained. As a ranger tasked with preserving the land, Milford shares vivid accounts of his own encounters with strange and seemingly paranormal phenomena.

Woven throughout Milford's accounts is his deep connection to his Navajo heritage and the ways in which his cultural traditions and spiritual beliefs inform his perspective on the unexplained. His ability to blend these elements with the Western understanding of the paranormal makes for a unique and insightful exploration of these topics.

For readers drawn to the intersection of the paranormal, Native American culture, and the natural world, "The Paranormal Ranger" is a fantastic and captivating read. Milford's storytelling and his willingness to share his personal experiences create a sense of immediacy and authenticity that pulls the reader in. This book is a must-read for anyone fascinated by the mysteries that lurk just beyond the boundaries of our everyday understanding.

This book reminded me of my own sightings on a small rural farm in Colorado. I’ve come across a couple of creatures that by modern-day standards have no name. I referred to them as the el chupacabras. One event rattled me to the core as I nearly leaped out of my skin in terror at the el chupacabra’s frightful sound. Another time on the farm I saw one of these cyprids passing through my backyard. I couldn’t believe my eyes, this el chupacabra looked wolfish but taller and longer and had thin long legs with dark black hair and piercing red eyes. It’s gait was unlike anything I’ve seen. Like it could leap vastly fast, faster than a cheetah. It seemed paranormal like it could suddenly appear through a portal. It seemed wise and lurking for something that would be invisible to our nature. It was most certainly aware of my presence but thankfully not interested in me.

It wasn’t until I came across some Skinwalker Ranch material decades later that I was reminded of that sighting and now with the author's connections to high strangeness sharing experiences of the mysterious adds another layer of intrigue.

Don't miss the opportunity to delve into this captivating exploration of the paranormal – pick up your copy of "The Paranormal Ranger" today.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher William Morrow for an advance copy of this book that is both a true story about being a police officer, a paranormal investigator and the very varied and interesting life this officer lead patrolling the 25,000 square miles that make up the Navajo Nation.

One of my favorite shows has always been The X-Files. I grew up reading just about anything I could find on the supernatural, collecting Fate magazines from book sales, rooting through the odd boxes deep in bookstores loaded with stories about creatures, UFO, and strange hauntings. The X-Files to my younger self, seemed like something that had to be real. There is no way this many people could be wrong about those things in the night. Someone has to be investigating this. Someone has to be looking for the truth. As I got older, I came to the realization that law enforcement is bureaucracy and well no one wants to work on something that can't get a rise in the budget next year. Traffic stops make more money that spending time looking for Bigfoot. Or lights in the sky. Just say they are kooks and move on, no matter how strong the evidence, nor how traumatic the experience. Stanley Milford, Jr. was a police officer who actually had a mandate; investigate these strange calls, lights in the sky, animals dying like one would handle any other case. Even if the cases took place in the Navajo Nation, measuring about 25,000 square miles. The Paranormal Ranger: A Navajo Investigator's Search for the Unexplained is a solid true crime police book, a cultural study of growing up as a Native American, and a look at many of the odd things Milford saw, how they touched him and even in some way haunt him still.

Stanley Milford, Jr. spent his childhood in rural Oklahoma with his mother's family, and in the Navajo Nation with his father's family. Milford always had an interest in police shows, and when the opportunity arose for a job with the Navajo Rangers, Milford went for it. The Rangers are unique in that they patrol an area about the size of West Virginia, in numbers that lower than the police in my town. Milford moved up quickly, becoming SWAT certified, a firearms instructor, and more importantly part of the Special Projects Unit, which involved fugitive searches, dignitary protection, antiquities guarding, and a slightly odd mandate. To investigate paranormal activities in the Nation. Milford had experiences in the past, which he could not explain and was soon investigating Bigfoot sightings. UFO's and strange hauntings. Unlike many who would label the people who reported this things in as crazy, Milford and his partner would treat everything as real. Pictures of prints, tracking, finding DNA. More importantly Milford would listen, sometimes learning, sometimes just being a sympathetic ear. Soon Milord would be involved in a case, that still haunts him to this day.

Not the book I expected, and I really enjoyed it for that reason. I thought this was going to be a book just about the supernatural on indigenous land, but this is much more than that. This is a book about living in different worlds, traveling among them and what one sees while doing so. This is a really interesting police story, a story about a person growing up between two cultures, and finding himself, and of course the weird things we hear, but don't know. Milford really comes across as a good man, a believer, but not a believer who will browbeat one until they agree. As a cop Milford has seen some things, dangerous, different, scary, and sometimes all too human.

A really good book, for police fans, Native American cultural history, and of course paranormal fans. All three are covered equally, and one learns quite a bit in this exciting, interesting book, that asks a few questions, and leaves the answers up to the reader. I look forward to more books by the Paranormal Ranger.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an eARC of The Paranormal Ranger by Stanley Milford Jr.

I was so excited to see that Stanley Milford Jr. was coming out with a book about his experience with the Navajo Rangers and the supernatural world. My first experience with his work was through Beyond Skinwalker Ranch and it was so curious to know that not only does the Navajo have their own police force, they have Rangers who work specifically with supernatural cases. It was fun to read his stories and experiences, but also how he incorporated the Navajo creation story, as it really gave a wonderful insight with the chapters of his time as a Ranger. For me, it blended nicely. The big thing for me is that Stanley always treated his cases seriously and followed through, making sure that those involved were informed and knew that he wasn't going to just brush it off (not take things seriously). Especially because the supernatural is heavily imbodied in many cultures that those who weren't raise in that culture wouldn't understand or just assume the person is crazy etc., Stanley went above and beyond during is 20 year tenure and the evidence he gathered blows my mind. Honestly, I wish he had a podcast as I would 10/10 listen to it.

Reading about cryptids is one of guilty pleasures, but when it comes to Navajo Reservation sightings by their own police force - I don't know anyone that doubts their stories. Stanley Milford's tales of the supernatural have been included on several television shows including Unsolved Mysteries (Season 5, eepisode 3 if you want to watch it) but he is very convincing. There are many accounts of missing persons in the Southwest including hikers in the National Parks. There was a gentleman that went missing in the Pecos mountains near Santa Fe NM about 15 years ago and no one ever found him. In 2023, a young woman named Ingrid Lane from Albuquerque, was reported missing in Jemez Springs, New Mexico, before going on a hike. Authorities found her vehicle abandoned with a broken rear window near one of the trails. She has not been seen since. There is no explanation for these missing persons, and when you start talking about Indigenous women there are a large of them that have gone missing over a long period of time with no investigation. Part of the problem is jurisdiction but the main problem is pacificity and condescension because there are physical evidence of what may have happened.

What did I just read?! This book is one of the most fun nonfiction books I have ever read! The story has everything! Mystery, supernatural forces, Native American legends and you couldn't ask for more. The author is extremely credible and does a splendid job researching and telling this story. Highly recommend

Note: Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow Publishing, and Stanley Milford Jr. for the advanced reader copy of the book. What follows is my unbiased review of the book.

When talking about the paranormal, people generally believe in the possibility of it or don’t. For those that do, Paranormal Ranger will provide reassurance that they aren’t crazy. For those that don’t, if the testimony by a person who was in law enforcement doesn’t convince them then nothing will.

Stanley Milford Jr. has appeared on several television shows such as Skinwalker Ranch and Unsolved Mysteries. He was a member of law enforcement on the Navajo Reservation which stretches from Arizona through New Mexico and Utah to Colorado. He retired after more than twenty years of service. Throughout his time as a Ranger, he dealt with normal law enforcement issues but became known for his thoughtful and thorough investigations into paranormal events on the Reservation.

Milford details what went into an investigation of a report of a paranormal event. With the culture steeped in stories alien to Western culture, there’s a lot more openness to the residents of the reservation to things most of the rest of us would dismiss. Although I have believed in ghosts and am open to many things paranormal for some time now, one thing I always dismissed was bigfoot sightings. It seemed ridiculous to me that a creature such as this could exist in our world with little to no evidence. However, Milford does have the evidence. In addition to casts of very large footprints that couldn’t have been made by any known creature of our world, he’s had experiences and sightings while investigating reports that frightened many members of the Native community. Milford also gives his own theories as to why there have never been any remains of a bigfoot found. I have to admit that after reading this, I find the existence of these creatures to be more plausible.

It comes down to the credibility of the author. Having been in law enforcement and reading his approach to investigating these cases, I found him to be credible. The fact that there were other investigators as witnesses to several of the events also makes the events more credible. If you doubt his testimony, then I don’t think there’s anything that will convince you to believe in that which you don’t understand.

I also liked that Milford included the Navajo creation story as a part of the book. It explains why the Natives are more open to possibilities that Western culture dismisses. I appreciated this context as well as the stories themselves.

I enjoyed reading the book and read it fairly quickly. I feel like there were some great explanations and conclusions that Milford and his partners came up with. Of course, it’s still a bit of a leap to be open to these possibilities. You either can allow for it or you can’t. For those of us who believe in the paranormal and/or have had experiences, there’s a lot of validation in Milford’s book. He states that assuring people they aren’t crazy and validating their experiences was one of the more important and fulfilling parts of his job, as well as his continued work. I recommend picking this up.